Thuney arrives having played nine NFL seasons with the Patriots (2016-20) and Chiefs (2021-24). He has won four Super Bowls—two with New England and two with Kansas City—has been named to the last three Pro Bowls and was chosen first-team All-Pro in 2023 and 2024.
Jackson has started 61 games in five seasons with the Lions (2020-23) and Rams (2024), earning a Pro Bowl invitation with Detroit in 2021.
As soon as the two veteran guards became available on the trade market, the Bears jumped at the opportunity to acquire them because they knew exactly what type of players and people they were getting. Poles was the Chiefs' executive director of player personnel when Kansas City signed Thuney in 2021, while new Bears coach Ben Johnson was a Lions offensive assistant during Jackson's first three NFL seasons in Detroit.
"\[These\] are two guys we're really familiar with that we know can help us not only from a leadership perspective, but also on the field," Poles said.
In addition to their talent, Thuney and Jackson possess the intangibles the Bears are seeking in offensive linemen.
"We want some tough, some gritty, some dirty individuals , and we feel pretty good about the two guys we got," Johnson said. "'Smart' is a word that comes to mind. We would love to have some versatility to our scheme, some multiplicity if you will. We've got a couple guys in the building now that we feel strongly can handle a variety of different concepts and schemes that we might want to employ each and every week.
"Beyond that, their play speaks for themselves in terms of what the tape says. The character, the integrity, it's top notch. I can speak firsthand with Jonah and Ryan can speak firsthand with Joe. I am really, really excited to get these guys in the room combined with the coaches that we've already put together for that room. I feel really good about the style of play we'll have this year."
Poles has already witnessed the impact that Thuney can make when joining a new team.
"It feels like yesterday where we were signing \[Thuney\] in Kansas City when we were trying to get our offensive line right so we could make a push and win championships—and that's exactly what he brought," Poles said. "He's seen a lot of different things, played with a lot of different players. So there's a level of maturity and leadership that is definitely going to enhance not only just the offensive line room, but our entire roster."